Powder box



Allg 26, 1958 v J. F. Roos ET AL 2,849,170

POWDER BOX Filed Jan. 31,' 1957 l l t l l l f l l l l 5 l INV NTORS %tawww 44,/

BY 4 M2 TTF/VEV POWDER BOX Jacob Frederick Roos, Liverpool, and AlbertSmith, Heston, England, assignors to Coty, Inc., New York, N. Y., acorporation of Delaware Application January 31, 1957, Serial No. 637,455

6 Claims. (Cl. 229-43) This invention relates to boxes or containers forholding powder, for example of the kind used for cosmetic and toiletpurposes, or any other kind of powder or similar material. The inventionhas for its object to provide, in or for the lid or closure of such abox or container, simple and efficient sealing means which will obviate,or substantially so, the escape of the loose powder therefrom after themanufacturers seal has been broken.

One form of powder box to which the invention has reference is formed intwo separate parts, one a base portion or body containing the powder,and the other a slipon lid or cover having a skirt or flange which fitsover the side walls of the body. As supplied lled by the manufacturer,the body of such a box is usually closed or sealed at the top by acellulose or paper film, or in other manner, and which closure has to beremoved when access to the contents is desired. Once such a seal isbroken, the lid of the box is not in itself capable of preventingentirely the escape of loose powder due to the fact that suficientclearance must be provided between the skirt of the lid and the body topermit of the ready removal and replacement of the lid as and whennecessary without any undue pumping action occurring. Thus, in theopening and closing and carrying of a powder box a certain amount ofpowder is spilled and unavoidably wasted. Further, the nuisance ofsoiled clothing resulting therefrom is obvious.

Broadly, the invention consists in forming or providing within the lidof a powder box or container, an inner cap component or cover adapted tofit closely on or over the rim of the body portion to seal same, suchinner component being so positioned within the lid as to effect sealingof the body portion when the lid is in fully closed position or nearingsuch closed position.

Thus arranged, the inner cap or cover in no way interferes with theremoval and replacement of the lid, but functions effectively to preventthe escape of loose powder between the skirt portion of the lid and thewall of the box body. As illustrated, such inner cap is so formed as todirect flying powder particles back into the body rather than toward theside walls where the powder might possibly escape.

The invention will be further understood from the following descriptionand drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal, cross-sectional view of a powder boxconsnucted according to the instant invention;

Figure 2 is a similar view with the cover and body portions separated;

Figure 3 is a similar view illustrating the act to apply the cover tothe body;

Figure 4 is an elevational view of the inner cap of this invention;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the inner cap; and

Figure 6 is a modified embodiment.

Referring now to Figures l to 5 inclusive, the powder box includes theusual body comprising fioor 10 to which is secured the powder container11. Container 11 is formed with cylindrical side wall 12 and is providedwith 2,849,170 Patented Aug. 26, 1958 2 a central opening 13 by whichthe container is initially lilled before the floor 1i) is securedthereto. As is further conventional, container 11 is provided with apaper or cellulose film 14 which serves as a top seal.

As in the case of the box body, the cover 1S assumes conventional formapart from the provision of the inner cap 16, the details of which willbe hereinafter described. Cover 15 is formed with the usual top wall 15aand is further provided with the usual cylindrical skirt or flange 17which slips over and embraces the side wall 12 in the closed position ofthe box.

As was above set forth, the skirt 17 has a somewhat loose fit over theside wall 12 so as to avoid an excessive air pumping or compressiveaction. closing and opening of a powder box of the present typegenerally causes powder particles to fly about by virtue of thecompression of air.

In order to eliminate the above inconvenience, which has existed formany years, there is provided an inner cap insert 16 which may befabricated of plastic film or the like. Cap insert 16 is formed with adome 18 irnmediately below which is the substantially annular,concavo-convex side wall 19 followed by a depending circumferentialskirt 20. Preferably, the paper surface of dome 18 is adhesively securedto the underside of the cover 15 while the skirt 20 is secured to theinside surface of cover skirt 17. As a result, the concavo-convex wallportion 19 provides a cushioning effect since it is free of any portionof the cover. Portion 19, it will be observed, extends substantiallydiagonally from the top wall 15a to the skirt 17, such diagonaldisposition providing the circumferential space or chamber 19a betweenportion 19 and the top wall 15a.

The action of the improved box will be apparent from Figure 3 where itwill be observed that the cap insert 16 begins to embrace the body sidewall 12 shortly after the cover is applied to the body and before thecover has so fully embraced the body as to eifect a high degree of aircompression. Of course, it will be understood that the advantages ofthis invention are realized only after the film 14 has been punctured bythe user since there is otherwise no danger of flying powder particles.

Assuming now that the film 14 has been so punctured, and when the userreturns the cover 15 as above described, such action will create someturbulence within the box. However, the powder particles, instead o-fbeing permitted to escape through the annular space 21, will be directedupwardly against the underside of insert 16 including the convex surfaceof portion 19 and will not only be thus diverted from the space 21 butwill be directed back into the box body through the punctured top.

It will be observed that the spacing 21 is adequate to permitfacilitated application of the cover 18 until the skirt 20 contacts theside wall 12 and effects firm sealing. Thus, in the closed position ofthe box illustrated in Figure l, the skirt 20 seals the space 21 fromabove and prevents undesirable powder leakage. The facilitatedapplication results from the fact that the skirt 20, while flat andsomewhat decreasing the internal diameter of cover 15, terminates shortof the bottom edge of the cover skirt 17 so that the full internaldiameter of cover 15 is initially applied over the body side wall 12.

In Figure 6 is disclosed a modified embodiment wherein the inner cap 25is formed from an upper ring 26 extending to the top wall of the cover,and a lower ring 27 between which is clamped the extreme circumferentialedge of the planar web or film 28 which is likewise of thin plastic o-rpaper material 28 having vertical resiliency by virtue of its free orfloating disposition between the upper and lower rings apart from itsclamped circumferential edge. Lower ring 27 functions as does the skirt20 of the cap insert 16.

Nevertheless, the

In both of the above embodiments, the resilient inner cap has free oroating circumferential edge portions which tend to seal themselves wellagainst the upper lip of the body so as to effect a good seal therewith.In the rst embodiment such edge portions are the annular portion 19while in the second embodiment they are found immediately adjacent theclamped edge of the lm 28. In either case such edge portions areinwardly spaced from the top wall of the coverkso as to provide acushioned seal against the top lip of the body.

There has been shown what is now considered a preferred embodiment ofthe invention but it is obvious that numerous changes and omissions maybe made without departing from its spirit.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination with a container body having a circumferential sidewall terminating in an upper lip, of a closure cover therefor, saidcover comprising a top wall, a circumferential skirt depending from saidtop wall, and an insert of flexible material flxedly disposed in saidcover and having at least circumferential edge portions thereof inwardlyspaced from circumferential edge portions of said top wall, the eXtremeedges of said circumferential edge portions of said insert beingconnected to said circumferential skirt and forming a closed chamberunder said top wall, said extreme edges normally resting against saidupper lip in the closed position of the container.

2. The combination with a container body having a circumferential sidewall terminating in an upper lip, of 30 a closure cover therefor, saidcover comprising a top wall, a circumferential skirt depending from saidtop wall, and an insert of exible material fixedly disposed in saidcover, said insert comprising an annular portion extending substantiallydiagonally from said top wall of the cover to said skirt thereof, theextreme edges of said annular portion being connected to saidcircumferential skirt and forming a circumferential closed chamberbetween said annular portion and said top wall, said extreme edgesnormally resting against said upper lip in the closed position of thecontainer.

3. A device according to claim 2 and including a circumferential skirton said insert, said skirt being integral with said annular portion andsecured to said cover skirt below said `annular portion.

4. A device according to claim 3 and including a top wall on said insertand forming a dome with said annular portion, said top wall beingsecured to the underside of the cover top wall.

5. A device according to claim 4 and wherein said annular portion isconcavo-convex with the convex side thereof downwardly directed.

6. A device according to claim 5 and wherein said insert circumferentialskirt is at and decreases the internal diameter of said cover so as tomore firmly embrace said body side wall, said insert skirt terminatingshort of the lower edge of said cover skirt so as to permit facilitatedapplication of said cover over the body side wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,560,675 Wheeler July 17, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 579,380 France July 3l,1924 809,647 Germany Aug. 2, 1951

